Top 7 Supermarket Foods to Avoid

In a recent article, seven experts in the fields of both food and the environment (scientists, doctors and farmers) were asked just one simple question: “What foods do you avoid?” Their responses had nothing to do with calories or nutrient-density, but all to do with their insider knowledge on how certain seemingly “healthy” foods that they closely work with are produced and packaged. The findings are scary.

If the farmer who grows the food won’t eat it himself, then I won’t touch it either.

Here’s a summary of the findings. You can add these seven to your ‘Foods to Avoid‘ list:

1. Canned Tomatoes

An endocrinologist and expert on the topic of the synthetic oestrogen bisphenol-A (BCA), linked to heart disease and infertility, won’t go near canned tomatoes. Tin cans are lined with a resin containing BCA which is especially a problem with canning tomatoes, as the acid in tomato breaks this down in dangerous amounts. This is a serious health concern for everyone who loves a Spag Bol, especially children. My advice: if you still want the convenience of stored, ready-to-cook tomatoes, opt for sauces and passata in glass bottles.

2. Conventional Beef

For fat cows (and fat people) feed them grain, corn and soy. This is what farmers do to increase profits. The end product is meat that is nutritionally inferior. Cows were meant to eat grass. Studies show that grass-fed beef (compared to corn-fed) is higher in important vitamins, minerals and the heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory fats. Then there’s also the issue of all the antibiotics used on those inappropriately-fed, sick cows… My advice: Look for “grass-fed” or “pasture-fed” organic beef from strong healthy beasts.

4. Conventional Potatoes

More than any other vegetable, non-organic potatoes are heavily sprayed with herbicides, pesticides and fungicides throughout every stage of their growth, harvesting and storage. So much so that potato growers never eat the potatoes they sell and grow their own separate plots without all the chemicals. My advice: Organic or Bio-dynamic potatoes only.

5. Farmed Salmon

This is particularly scary considering that in Australia, the only fresh Salmon we have access to is farmed; all farmed, this includes “Atlantic” Salmon. These fish are crammed in pens and fed all manner of junk from soy and hydrolyzed chicken feathers and pellets. A scientific study on fish contamination showed high levels of DDT and PCB’s (carcinogens). So serious were the findings that the director for the Institute for Health warns that any more than one salmon meal every 5 months increases your cancer risk. Not to mention that fact that the levels of Omega 3 and Vitamin D are devoid in these poor factory-versions that their wild, up-stream-swimming ancestors contain. My advice: For fresh fish, choose small & wild varieties wherever available. For salmon in Australia, your only wild option is out of a tin. Look for brands like Paramount Wild Alaskan Salmon, or other brands form Norway and Canada are often wild too. Even still, eat these only occasionally.

6. Conventional Milk

Dairy cows today are fed growth hormones to maximize milk production. Not only does this make for a potentially breast/prostate/colon cancer milk shake, but it also leads to increased incidence of udder infection for the poor cow, leading to pus in the milk. My advice: if you do drink cows’ milk, make sure it states clearly on the label that it is produced without artificial hormones, and ideally choose organic whole milk from pasture-fed cows.

7. Conventional Apples

There’s no coincidence that farm workers have higher rates of many cancers. Of all common fruits, apples are the most heavily and frequently doused with pesticides. Pesticide reside on conventional fruits is also linked to Parkinson’s. To limit exposure, be wary of apples especially. My advice: Organic. Or at the very least, wash and peel.

31 responses to “Top 7 Supermarket Foods to Avoid”

Can we also refuse any extraneous packaging ? Can we ask that we go to a system of buying from a green grocer , a baker, a fishmonger ,a butcher , a cheese shop and not super stores. No offense to the owners of the following but instead of all the cupcake , fried chicken, donut, ice cream and burger stores cropping up, its time for health and that we see our food as medicine and our medicine as food ( Hippocrates)

I think that who ever is in control of poisoning us has really done their home work. It is now so difficult to avoid GM foods, that most people have no choice but to eat it, on top of that, all negative research seem to be hidden from the public, just enough that we are not aware of how dangerious it really is untill you put time into research the issue. What parent – working full time, and running a household with children, has the time to grow their own and be an expert on GM.

Lastly, why do we bother with politicians, we should just pick a criminal and let them do the job, at least they wont be telling us they care, whilst they are making laws designed to make us sick, poor, and eventually kill us.

When the wind blows, pollen from GMO crops growing upwind of an organic crop can blow on an organic crop and contaminate it. There can also be contamination from shipping in railroad cars, or even in a warehouse. The wind contamination is so prevalent that Monsanto has constantly been suing farmers who were unlucky enough to be downwind of their crops for patent infringement. Since Monsanto's GMO seeds are patented, they claim the farmers whose seeds were contaminated owe Monsanto money. Obscene but true.

I don't think so. I buy directly from the farmers as a produce manager for a health food store….wind, water, bees…they can all track poisons and pesticides without the farmer knowing…or the customer. That's why we must stop it altogether…

I FIND IT VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT CONFUSE YOUR RELIGION WITH THE FOOD YOU EAT. THERE ARE MANY FARMERS WHO THINK THEY ARE GROWING HEALTHY FOOD AND KNOW NADA ABOUT GENETIC ENGINEERING. dID YOU ALSO KNOW WHY I STAY AWAY FROM tOMATOES UNLESS I GROW THEM MYSELF? BECAUSE THEY ARE GMO AND THEY USE THE GENE THAT MAKES COCKROACH WINGSSTRONG AND LIGHT TO KEEP TOMATOES SKIN FIRM AND TIGHT. AS A FOOD CHEMIST I CAN TELL U HORROR STORIES THAT GO ON.THESDE GMO FOODS LEAK INTO OUR CELLS AND POISION US .HOW DO U LIKE YOUR CELLSMAKING ROUNDUP IN THE GUT? WELL IT DOES.WE HAVE TO STOP PLAYING GOD WITH FOOD AND GENETICS. ALSO DONT RELY ON YOUR BIBLE TO GET U GOOD FOOD IT WONT ITS A FULL TIME JOB. MY PROBLEM IS CONVINCING PEOPLE THAT THIS REALLY GOES ON. I HAVE HAD DAIRY COWS AND KNOW IT IS TRUE THERE IS MASTITUS IN MILK .UNSCRUPULOUS DAIRY MEN WILL DUM THE BAD MILK IN ANYWAY , HOPING HEAT WILL KILL IT WELL IT DOESNT.JUST LIKE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT BELEIVE OUR GOVT WAS INMVOLVED IN 9/11 AND THE TOWERS FALLING THEY DIDNT BURN DOWN THEY WERE BLOWN DOWN YOU ALL HEARD THE OWNER ADMIT THAT THEY (PULLED IT) BLDG 7 TERM FOR SETTING OFF THE EXPLOSIONS. I HOPE PPL WAKE UP OR WE WONT BE HERE.CPR

HEAR WHERE THEY HAVE FOUND THE B+ TOXIN FROM GMO in HUMANS now? what will that change in our bodies short and long term? and gmo crops are found on another farmer's land, the company will own that farm. and what they gmo'ed the corn to prevent? the insect found a way so it doesn't work anymore. gmo is used for burning ethanol. what effects in the air for us when they burn it?

because they do not have to label anything with it…and you don't know what animals have eaten it…very very scary…look at all the new cancer hospitals popping up…medical profession sees it coming. 88.8 billion in profits in medical field per companies reports for the 2010 year. they CAN make money off of people's illnesses and accidents and defects!!! who knew. I am a nurse since 1970 and fought that putting medical and drug companies on the stock market means they HAVE to expand their markets to keep profits coming in.

gmo is STERILE seeds. you have to go back to the company for the seeds.

Bt toxin makes crops toxic to pests, but it has been claimed that the toxin poses no danger to the environment and human health; the argument was that the protein breaks down in the human gut. But the presence of the toxin in human blood shows that this does not happen. here is the info…

Cry1Ab, a specific type of Bt toxin from genetically modified (GM) crops, has for the first time been detected in human and fetal blood samples. It appears the toxin is quite prevalent, as upon testing 69 pregnant and non-pregnant women who were eating a typical Canadian diet (which included foods such as GM soy, corn and potatoes), researchers found Bt toxin in:

* 93 percent of maternal blood samples

* 80 percent of fetal blood samples

* 69 percent of non-pregnant women blood samples

Writing in the journal Reproductive Toxicology, the researchers noted:

"This is the first study to reveal the presence of circulating PAGMF [pesticides associated with genetically modified foods] in women with and without pregnancy, paving the way for a new field in reproductive toxicology including nutrition and utero-placental toxicities."

It seems everyday more and more items appear on the "Do not eat" list. At least my family has left the meat food chain, and not buy farm direct. It took awhile to figure out how to do that since we don't know any farmers, then we found home grown cow, found a farmer we liked and eat better for less. Anyone know a potato farmer?

I too am a believer however, people do not listen when they are beat upon by the word.

Remember too please that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to take the best care of it that we know how. Being ignorant of the facts is being neglectful of our duty to take care and share.

On the other hand…Very much agree with Joanne's comment. Sorry to offend the poster, Pip, although I thought the subject was about food and the types of healthy foods we need to purchase…NOT religion. I, too, believe in the Bible and respect your right of free speech and of religion, but it is unrelated to the topic and consumed too much space for comments ABOUT the subject. Peace…Do not be pushy about preaching, out of the blue.

Whether or not one beleives the word of the Bible, which I do, I beleive as well that it is best to lean on the side of caution than to go solely on blind faith. Education on all the things we ingest is far more use of God's Intelligence than repetition of verse in trying to outweigh the good works we do. We should be praying and doing all the same not against oneanother.

EVERYONE has a SELL BY DATE! You are ALL going to DIE! Its only a matter of time! You should be MORE concerned abour your SPIRITUAL CONDITION. The result of "eating canned religion" far out weighs what a few "canned tomatoes" can do to you.

The Gospel reveals . . .

a Saviour, in whom we must trust;

a Sovereign, whom we must obey;

a Priest, on whose atonement we must rest;

a Prophet, from whom we must learn;

a Friend, in whose love we must confide;

a Brother, from whom we may expect;

a Father, whose authority we must revere;

an Apostle, whose mission we must copy; and

an Advocate, to whom we must commit our cause.

The Gospel . . .

flows from the free love, rich grace, and abundant mercy of our God;

is founded in the Saviour's person, mediation, and death;

becomes effectual through the revelation, operation, and application of the Holy Spirit. By it, He begets faith, imparts love, and excites hope; and when accompanied by His blessing–the gospel is received in demonstration and power.

The Gospel . . .

produces penitence–and godly sorrow for sin;

begets hatred to sin–and love to holiness;

weans from the world–and wafts the affections to heaven;

makes us zealous for God–and the good of immortal souls;

delivers us from the power of darkness–and translates us into the kingdom of Jesus;

crucifies the flesh–and liberates the spirit;

unites Christians in love–and raises us above the fear of death;

fortifies us against persecution–and makes us rejoice in suffering for Immanuel's name;

humbles the spirit–and dignifies the man;

destroys covetousness–and makes us benevolent;

roots out pride–and implants meekness;

transforms us from the world–and conforms us to God;

begets hatred to impurity–and makes us chaste;

throws down idolatry–and leads us to worship God;

conquers SELF–and exalts Christ;

softens the hard heart–and produces kindness;

delivers from sin, Satan, and the world–and devotes body, soul, and spirit to the Lord.

"For we know, brethren beloved by God, that He has chosen you–because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

It makes me cringe that product we pay a premium for because it has been organically raised or grown ends up being packaged in plastics or other stuff from which toxins leach into the food thereby negating the term "organic", or at least negating the reason we buy the organic product in the first place which is to avoid toxic chemicals. e.g. organic peanut butter in plastic jars, organic milk in plastic bags, tin linings that contain toxic chemicals, etc. etc. Why can't we go back to glass, and recycle it?

I was curious about the tomato topic. Since I avoid HFCS or FCS, I make my own tomato ketchup. I buy tomato paste in the small cans and ONLY buy where it says "tomatoes". Sometimes some brands say more than just "tomatoes", and I don't buy them. My question is: If canned tomatoes have the issue of leaching the BCA, and since the acid from whole tomatoes is different than paste, will the BCA leach out into processed tomatoes like the paste?

I am assumming that the recommendation for whole orgainic milk is comming from a growing movement within the nutrition community stemming from the Weston A Price Foundation spearheaded by Sally Fallon that people should consume raw, unpasturized, unhomoginized whole milk. They argue that animal products come with fat and that is how we should eat them. And that animal fats supply vitamins A and D needed for the assimilation of protein. Whereas consumption of lowfat milk, egg whites and lean meat cause deficiencies of fat soluble nutrients.

But really I think that if you have fat elsewhere in the diet that you will still absorb those nutrients and that lowfat dairy products may be useful for those trying to lose weight.

Thank you for the information about the dioxins in the milk. It was very imformative.

Personally, I don't consume any dairy.

It's hard to get enough vitamin D from dietary sources, so I take a D3 supplement of 3,000 IU's a day unless it is summertime and I've been out in the sun and then I skip it. In spite of what Sally Fallon claims it is not hard to absorb a D3 supplement. I eat a faw brazil nuts (for the fat and the selenium) when I take it; and in two months' time I went from 9 n/g d/l to 35 nano grams per deciliter (from crically low to optimal).

I was unaware about the canned tomatoes, they're one of the few canned items I buy (organic). But it makes sense, I already won't store tomato produts in tupperware beacause I was aware that the acids cause the chemicals in the plastic to leach out. So now what to do? I froze some fresh ones last year that I lightly boiled and removed the skins and diced, but I still stored them in freezer bags because glass frequently cracks in the freezer. I'd like to buy nothing but fresh organic, but canned are usually cheaper (and that's an issue for me). Anyone have nay good ideas?

Can we have the original source for this article? It is strange that it is missing. I can't find it on the net either. For all we know this article could have been engineered by the wild salmon industry. BTW, I don't doubt for a minute that it isn't true but I would like to know more about the original article that inspired this one.

I'm curious as to why you recommend avoiding low fat milk and cheese. This is because high fat contains more polychlorinated dioxins and furans. These inadvertently created chemicals come from the burning of plastics and paper; industrial and medical wastes, and have contaminated some herbicides like 2,4=D. Burning fossil fuels also creates dioxins. They are never purposely created, but inadvertently created and concentrates each step of the way in the food chain, with the greatest known source in fatty animals.

Whole fat dairy even if it's organic, receives dioxin from long grazing being downwind or downstream from a toxic source of emissions, like a medical waste or garbage incinerator.